A horse in the hand...

What a mostly beautiful day today. I had four hours of yard work which was pretty pleasant, really. The boxes are a mess because it's been raining so much (I think water just seeps in through the breezeblock and bricks) but I didn't feel rushed, so just took my time and enjoyed it.

I had already decided not to do anything with Max - I'm just too knackered after four hours, but we had an hour long grooming session in the sun, which was fine by both of us.

I bought some baby bath sponges a couple of days ago. I tried one bit (I cut them up) on his undercarriage today with a bucket of hot water, and Max was much more amenable. Still got click treats for being good, but he seemed to accept it better, so it must just feel a bit nicer, I guess. Result! Well, at least for today, anyway.

We also did a lot of work on his mane and tail, because he was a burr bush when he came in this morning. Put in more conditioner, because it really helps to slide them out, and keep them from sticking so much for a few days.

I was telling another owner about a friend's success with her horse and his former fear of clippers, and she was intrigued to hear it. Last time her horse was clipped it took three injections of sedation and the vet had to stay there on stand-by. Added complications because sedation tends to make horses sweat, and sweating doesn't mix well with clipping.

Anyway, she said wistfully that she wished she'd done more clicker training and ground work with her horse over the summer, and I said, "But you could still do it now, even if you decide not to clip him this winter. It's worth having a go to see if it makes it any easier for him."

Don't know if I convinced her or not, but yes, it's not all about hacks, is it? I know, "make hay while the sun shines" and all that, but I guess I just find the ground work and clicker stuff a lot more fascinating than some others do. I just love watching Max's eyes and face as he's trying to work something out, and I think the time we spend together doing work on the ground is more valuable, more satisfying, than the riding stuff. Though I love riding too.

We're fine at the moment working on transitions, but I'd love to work on more stuff to get his body bending and his brain thinking. I just love the in-hand stuff! The more I do it, the more I love it. Could be my "thing" maybe, but I need to find some direction.

A lot of the lovelies at our yard are unusually het up, so it could be the change of seasons or something. I think they do pick up on that stuff in a way we perhaps don't understand. It may even call to something fairly primal in them, hard weather coming and how to prepare for it in "survival" mode, so if there is no "survival" necessary because they know all their stuff is looked after, extra energy has to go somewhere.

Hmm... interesting to think about. My dad and I are just in a e-mail conversation about observations of the natural world and what we can learn from it. I know lots of people enjoy people watching, but critter watching is more my thing. Yes, people are interesting too, but animals have such raw honesty about them, no hidden agenda or deception, they just are what they are, so it's intriguing to note the changes and try to work out why.